As soon as the papers arrived in town Friday afternoon we took them down to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Local 2368 union hall, where union members have been staffing the union headquarters to provide meals and an organizing center. A union official welcomed Militant reporters to the local hall and put them in touch with other miners to help round out the Militant's coverage that tells the truth about what happened, cutting across the company's lies and cover-up about the explosion. Among those participating in the Militant reporting team were two workers who used to work at the Jim Walter mine for many years and knew miners still working there.

Militant sales teams took the paper to Walmart stores in Midfield and Bessemer later that afternoon, selling 25 copies in a couple of hours to workers who were eager to read the truth about the worst mine disaster since the explosion at the Wilberg mine in Utah in 1984. There was also substantial interest in the Militant's coverage of Washington's war drive.

Teams fanned out to sell to miners working Saturday at the Jim Walter no. 4 and no. 7 mines, which are located in the same complex in Brookwood where the mine explosion took place. One mine construction worker driving down the road swung back around to get a Militant. He said that he had seen it before, and wanted to read a paper that put the blame for the explosion where it belongs. Through sales at both morning and afternoon shifts, six papers were sold to miners at the two portals.

A sales team on Saturday sold another 10 papers to workers going in for the afternoon shift at the Shoal Creek mine owned by Drummond. Miners also took campaign statements issued by Frank Forrestal, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh and a coal miner in southwestern Pennsylvania, that placed the blame for the mine explosion on the bosses' profit drive.

To attract the attention of the miners driving on the road to and from the Shoal Creek mine, a posterboard sign was placed on our car that read, "Miners killed by bosses' profit drive, read the Militant." Among miners who didn't have time to stop, a number gave us the thumbs-up upon seeing the sign.

Two Black miners leaving work picked up a copy of the paper and stopped to talk for a little longer. One of them commented on how those in Congress speak for and represent the rich, although he didn't agree that Washington's war drive against Afghanistan is also being done in the interest of the ruling rich.
 
 
Related article:
Labor battles are key to fight against war  
 
 
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